Surf Fishing Report: Ling in Corson’s Inlet?

Though there are bass milling around in the Great Egg Inlet and Corson’s Inlet, a more interesting species seems to be invading the Ocean City, NJ waters, according to Justin Schenker, Fin-Atics, Ocean City.

“There are guys catching loads of ling in Corson’s Inlet, on the bottom and around the rocks,” he said. “They are hitting bunker chunks intended for bass.”

What I think Schenker may be seeing are not actually ling, aka red hake, but another species of hake, called spotted hake. Spotted hake are generally small, about the size of a hot dog up to maybe 10 to 12 inches long, but Schenker reports that some of the fish he is catching are breaching the 16- and 17-inch mark, which makes me think that ling may actually be moving into the inshore waters. It’s not impossible that ling would be so close inshore, in the “old days” ling used to be caught off the beachfronts in Long Branch along with “frostfish” or whiting.

About Nick Honachefsky

Nick Honachefsky is an international fishing and travel writer. He has fished in over 20 countries around the world, swam with live sailfish, wrestled a 150-pound blue shark in open water and currently is IGFA World Record holder for the bergall - a "trash fish". He also regularly contributes to Saltwater Sportsman, Sport Fishing, ESPN.com.

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Adam Monacelli
Adam is an avid fresh and saltwater angler who fishes from Key West to Martha's Vineyard but can usually be found stalking stripers along the Jersey coast. He lives in Hammonton, NJ with his wife and two sons. E-mail Adam
or follow him on Twitter at @cp_AdamM

Nick Honachefsky
Nick is an international fishing and travel writer. He has fished in over 20 countries, swam with live sailfish, wrestled a 150-pound blue shark in open water and has held the post as managing editor of Salt Water Sportsman magazine. He also regularly contributes to Sport Fishing, ESPN.com and Marlin. E-mail Nick

Adam Mihara
Adam is a freshwater specialist with a vast knowledge of everything from live bait fishing to fly fishing. He tournament fishes for bass in the mid-Atlantic region and is always willing to help a fellow angler whether it's getting started or discussing advanced techniques. He is currently sponsored by Alluring Baits. E-mail Adam

Dean Payne
Dean is a longtime outdoor writer with a true passion for hunting & fishing in the tri-state area. He offers Fishheaders a national perspective on the outdoors as well as his favored morsels of fish & wildlife wackiness. E-mail Dean